Content Curation Best Practices

A few months ago, I accidentally witnessed an epic Twitter smack down.

When Buzzfeed, one of the biggest content aggregators currently out there on the Internet, decided to repost a satirical cartoon about the perception of young adults by their elders, they forgot to do one thing. Get permission from or cite the original creator. And boy, was he enraged.

Taking to Twitter as most angry individuals do these days, he called out Buzzfeed and its contributor for wrongfully publishing the article with complete disregard for fair use and copyright laws. Eventually the post was taken down, but the aftermath and awkwardness lingered on in the Twittersphere, particularly as the cartoonist and Buzzfeed contributor continued their entertaining interaction.

This is a prime example of content curation gone bad, but don’t let it leave a bad taste in your mouth. There’s a lesson to be learned.

Content curation is an important tool for all content marketers to equip themselves with. Not only does it provide brands with the opportunity to add their own insight to relevant third-party content, but it also elevates them as important leaders in the industry. It can help you to produce content that is better, engaging, and of a greater context than what your company can offer on its own. If you want your targeted audience to look to you for information in your industry, then including content creation as a content marketing tactic is key.

Just take a look at Adobe’s CMO.com and you’ll see exactly why everyone goes gaga over the concept. The site, which is a resource for CMOs to obtain information regarding digital marketing, is a major success. But they used content curation as a starting point for launching the brand into the leading source of information it is today.

As you can see, there are some rules you need to follow when it comes to achieving success through this tactic. Here are some of the most common questions people have about content curation and answers to help you make the most out of it:

Where do I find news?

The best place to find news relevant to your brand is to stay updated on industry news 24/7. Embrace the news reporter mindset and sign up for industry-specific newsletters and Google alerts. Discover blogs authored by leaders in your industry, review competitor websites, or sign up to curated news sources, such as Flipboard, which tailors news stories based upon your selected interests. You want to embrace variety to stay up-to-date on the entire industry.

How do I know what news to curate?

Be selective about which stories you choose to share from your brand site. Make sure it’s relevant and from a valid source. Content can come in the form of a blog post, an infographic, a research study, or even an industry event.

How much content should be curated?

You decide. But whether you choose to post two curated stories a day or seven, be consistent. When you follow a schedule, your audience will know what they can expect from you on any given day, which will also help gather loyal users. However, don’t overlook the need to continue writing original, thought-provoking content as well.

Is it okay to re-share someone else’s work?

It’s important that you understand the basics of copyright and fair use rules. Overall, the best way to avoid any mishaps is to only share a short portion of the original work, link or cite your source explicitly in your curated piece, and provide plenty of original context of your own. Curata provides a great outline of what’s fair game and what isn’t in this blog post here.